Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Chilterns

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when HS2 phase one construction plans and timetables for the Chilterns will be published.

baroness sugg: Since July 2017 HS2 Ltd has been working with CEK (now EK) and Align, the main works civils contractors, to develop scheme designs and the construction programme for the line of route works that includes the Chilterns. During Spring and Summer 2018 HS2 Ltd will be engaging with the local communities with an increasing level of information as the designs mature. Scheme Design will continue until the end of 2018 when HS2 Ltd expects to agree construction plans and programmes with the main works contractors, with a view to commencing construction works in 2019 in the Chilterns. Enabling works will continue in the Chilterns throughout 2018 along with Highways England and utility company works near the M25 at West Hyde and HS2 Ltd will continue to engage with the communities local on these works.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have set aside for HS2 phase one enabling works, design and pre-construction activity; andhow much ofthat funding has already been spent and on what.

baroness sugg: Spending Review 2015 established a long term funding envelope for Phase 1 of £27.18bn in 2015 prices. HS2 Ltd is expected to manage all elements of the delivery of Phase 1 from within the overall funding provision. In November 2016, HS2 Ltd awarded three Enabling Works Contracts. These are structured as framework contracts, with a total combined value of up to £900m (in 2015 prices). These contractors in place in advance of the main works contracts are delivering a range of activities including archaeology, site clearance, establishing site compounds, utility diversions, ecology surveys, demolition, ground remediation, watercourse activities, highways realignments, monitoring and instrumentation, structural reinforcements and drainage work. Government spending on HS2 Ltd is detailed in the Department for Transport’s annual report and accounts.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the collapse of Carillion Construction Limited on the timetable and budget for HS2 phase one enabling works, design and pre-construction activity.

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of any additional expenditure onHS2 phase one enabling works, design and pre-construction activity required because of the collapse of Carillion Construction Limited.

baroness sugg: Carillion were not awarded contracts for the Phase One enabling works (termed the Enabling Works Contracts or EWC). Carillion were originally part of the joint venture CEK that was awarded two of the main work civils contracts. These contracts are being taken forward by Kier and Eiffage, the other parties to the CEK joint venture. Each company's Boards have both given that assurance and confirmed that they underwrite the performance of each other and have the capacity to deliver the HS2 contracts under the same terms, including cost and schedule.

Carillion: Insolvency

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what additional costs have been incurred by HS2 phase one contractors working on the C2 North Portal Chiltern Tunnels to Brackley section because of the collapse of Carillion Construction Limited.

baroness sugg: Following the collapse of Carillion, Kier and Eiffage are now 50/50 joint venture partners and will deliver the HS2 contracts under the same terms, including cost and schedule.

Large Goods Vehicles: EU Countries

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made, or are making, to ensure that the 75,000 UK road freight trucks which currently undertake commercial journeys within the other 27 member states of the EU are able to continue with their operations after Brexit, and are not limited by EU permit restrictions on third country operations.

baroness sugg: The Government’s overall aim is to seek a liberalised access for commercial haulage through the negotiations with the EU. In order to be prepared for all eventualities, the Government has introduced the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill into Parliament, to provide a flexible framework for any system that is needed as part of our deal with the EU, without placing any undue regulatory or financial burden on the industry. The permit elements within the Bill will come into effect only if our international agreements require it.

Driving: Licensing

lord lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average timetaken by customers to fill out the online application for people over 70 to renew their driving licence.

baroness sugg: The average time taken to complete a fully completed online application to renew a driving licence at the age of 70 and above is 17 minutes and 47 seconds. Some customers may be unable to complete the application in full online because further information (usually medical or identity information) may be needed.

Driving: Licensing

lord lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the online application system for people over 70 to renew their driving licences was piloted.

baroness sugg: The online service enabling motorists to renew their driving licence when they reach the age of 70 has been in place since June 2007. Unlike newer digital services, this system was not piloted with users before it was introduced.As part of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s plans to transform its IT estate, the majority of its existing online driver licensing services will be replaced over time. The DVLA will use service standard assessments and its user experience testing laboratory to help ensure that its online services meet the needs of users. This testing will be nationwide and include all demographics in line with research standards.

Driving: Licensing

lord lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they hold on the number of failed attempts by people over 70 to renew their driving licences online.

baroness sugg: Over the last year, 77.6% of online applications to renew a driving licence made by customers over the age of 70 were completed successfully.General information is not available on why applications were not completed. However, some applications (2.8%) could not be completed online as further information (usually medical or identity information) was required.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HS2 phase one contractors delivering design and construction preparation works for (1) Area South, (2) Area Central, and (3) Area North, are (a) within budget, and (b) on schedule.

baroness sugg: The Phase One Main Works Civils contractors delivering design and construction preparation works for Area South, Area Central and Area North are currently on time and on budget.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the performance of HS2 Ltd and HS2 phase one contractors following the awarding of stage one contracts in July 2017.

baroness sugg: The evaluation process and outcome of the Main Works Civil Contracts were subject to HS2 Ltd’s robust assurance processes and additional in-house and independent assurance. The Department for Transport (DfT) assessed HS2 Ltd capability to successfully manage Stage 1 of the Main Works Civils Contracts prior to the award of these contracts in July 2017. DfT receives and reviews regular information regarding the progress of all of the HS2 programme. HS2 Ltd provides a rigorous oversight of all their direct contractors to ensure that costs are kept within budget and work is delivered on time. HS2 Ltd considers that the performance to date of Stage One Main Works Civils contractors is consistent with obligations and expectations.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what incentives are in place for contractors to introduce innovative proposals to reduce (1) time, and (2) costs, of the stage two construction phase of the HS2 phase one route.

baroness sugg: The Main Works Civil Contracts contain financial incentivisation provisions that encourage contractors to introduce innovations that will reduce the schedule and cost of construction activity in Stage Two.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with contractors regarding new design-ready schemes intended to reduce the construction time and costs of the HS2 phase one stage two construction phase.

baroness sugg: The Main Works Civils Contract Stage One period is focussed on design development and preparation for construction. During this period, HS2 Ltd is working with the Main Works Civil Contractors to look at opportunities to reduce construction time and costs prior to the confirmation of the delivery stage (Stage Two) of the Main Works Civils Contracts.

Large Goods Vehicles: EU Countries

lord radice: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which UK lorry drivers will be subject to third country permit restrictions applied by the remaining 27 EU member states following Brexit; and in which EU member states such restrictions would apply.

baroness sugg: The Government’s overall aim is to seek a liberalised access for commercial haulage through the negotiations with the EU. The arrangements that apply to UK hauliers once the UK leaves the European Union will depend on the withdrawal deal we negotiate. The Government has introduced the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill, to provide a flexible framework for any system that may be is needed as part of our deal with the EU. We are confident that any such arrangement will cover all EU countries.

Transport for London: Finance

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received fromthe Mayor of London regarding the cessation of Her Majesty's Government’s operating grant to Transport for London.

baroness sugg: Ministers at the Department for Transport and other Government Departments regularly meet the Mayor of London to discuss a range of issues including financial matters.

Cycleways

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the use of cycle lanes in English cities since 2010; andhow this compares to projected usage.

baroness sugg: The Government has not carried out an assessment of, or made projections about the use of, cycle lanes in English cities: this is a matter for local highways authorities. The Department’s statistics on cycling and walking, published most recently on 18 January 2018, contain information on national cycling trends over time and include some information at a local authority level, but do not cover the use of cycle lanes in individual cities. Similarly, the Department’s regular road traffic statistics provide estimates of the vehicle miles travelled each year in Great Britain, by vehicle type, including pedal cycles, but do not distinguish between cycling on cycle lanes and cycling on the main carriageway. The Department for Transport has made funds available to eight cities through the Cycle Ambition programme to improve or expand cycle routes in line with local priorities, and will monitor and evaluate the impact of this funding over time. Other organisations have produced reports which contain some information on this. Sustrans, for example, has recently published “Bike Life” reports for several cities which are available online and which cover matters such as cycle infrastructure provision, travel habits, and attitudes towards cycling in the cities in question.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

European External Action Service

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British nationals serve as EU Ambassadors or heads of mission in the European External Action Service; and how many of themare employed (1) directly, and (2) on secondment, from Her Majesty’s Government.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​In October 2017 the European External Action Service (EEAS) informed us that there were four British Heads of Delegations. Of these, one was posted from the UK civil service on a temporary agent contract, and three were permanent officials of the EEAS.

Palestinians: Domestic Violence

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian National Authority regarding the incidence of "honour killings" and domestic violence in the Palestinian Territories reported by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its Causes and Consequences in 2017.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Special Envoy for Gender Equality visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in November 2017, focusing on violence against women and girls. The UK continues to lobby for the adoption of a Family Protection Bill that would address some of our concerns around gender based violence. The FCO also works closely with other government departments, including the Department for International Development (DFID), and with the Palestinian Authority to enhance gender equality in the OPTs. DFID has supported interventions to tackle violence against women and girls by working with the Palestinian security and justice sectors. This has included the development of Police Family Protection and Juvenile Units, the specialisation of public prosecutors to work on cases of violence against women and the development of a gender strategy for the Palestinian Civil Police.

Gaza: Television Channels

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian National Authority regarding the reported banning of a new women's television station in Gaza by the Ministry of Information there.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not discussed this issue with the Palestinian Authority (PA). The UK does not have any contact with the administration in Gaza. The UK retains a policy of no contact with Hamas in its entirety. We encourage the PA to fully resume its government functions in Gaza, and ensure that the reconciliation process is compliant with the Quartet Principles.

Ahed Tamimi

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Minister of State for the Middle East on 7 February (HC Deb, col WH604), when they last discussed the detention of Ahed Tamimi with the government of Israel; and what assessment they have made of any progress being made to implement the recommendations of the reportChildren in Military Custodypublished by a delegation of nine UK lawyers in June 2012.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv most recently raised the case of Ahed Tamimi with the Israeli authorities on 7 February. While we welcome progress made by Israel following the recommendations of the Children in Military Custody Report, we remain particularly concerned by reports of the continued heavy use of painful restraints and the high number of Palestinian children who are not informed of their legal rights, in contravention to Israel’s own regulations. We will continue to push for the implementation of the recommendations in full, and we continue to offer support to Israel through expert level talks.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

lord loomba: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure women's participation in, and that the views of the women are adequately heard at, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are working closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat, member states and women's associations to ensure that women and women's rights issues feature throughout the week of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April and across all policy areas. The Women's Forum in particular will consider a range of issues related to women's empowerment such as political participation, gender parity in education, tackling violence against women and girls and diversity in economic empowerment. The three other forums are for youth, civil society and business. We are encouraging all forums to have speakers that reflect the diversity of the Commonwealth. The forums, including civil society and women-led organisations, will have the opportunity to feed into the Heads of Government discussions. Support will be provided to members of civil society organisations, including women-led organisations and youth representatives, to attend the four forums.

Qatar: Diplomatic Relations

baroness northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to help resolve the Gulf Crisis.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK remains very concerned by the ongoing tensions in the Gulf. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and other Ministers continue to engage with our Gulf friends to encourage de-escalation and for all to get firmly behind Kuwait’s mediation efforts to resolve the dispute. We continue to make it clear that Gulf unity matters to the security and stability of the region.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Yesh Din's December 2017 annual data sheet on law enforcement on Israeli civilians suspected of ideologically motivated crime against Palestinians in the West Bank, particularly with regard to the finding that only three per cent of investigations of such crimes have resulted in a conviction.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made an assessment of this issue, the UK strongly condemns all forms of violence, including any incidence of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. We also deplore incitement and comments that could stir up hatred and prejudice. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to tackle settler violence, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance, and bring those responsible to justice. We have also stressed the importance of the Israel security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. We have a regular dialogue with both the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel in which we reiterate the need for both sides to prepare their populations for peaceful coexistence, including by promoting a more positive portrayal of each other.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the payment of compensation to Palestinians whose homes were officially demolished in 2017.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: I refer the noble Lady to my answer of 22 January 2018 to question HL4933.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the criteria necessary to achieve a two-state solution with a contiguous, economically viable, and independent Palestinian state.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Our longstanding policy in support of a two-state solution remains clear. We support a negotiated settlement based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. The Palestinian Authority has made important progress on state-building which has been recognised by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. We see negotiations towards a two-state solution as the best way to achieve a contiguous, economically viable, and independent Palestinian state.

Israel: Sanctions

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government with regard to human rights and international law violations, under what circumstances they would consider imposing selective trade sanctions on Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government is firmly opposed to sanctions or boycotts against Israel. Such moves would not support the progress we need towards resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Electronic Warfare

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government which state actors they originally identified to have levied cyber-attacks against UK institutions in the past five years; and whether their assessment of the origins of those attacks has subsequently altered.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​There are several established, capable states seeking to exploit computers and communications networks to gather intelligence and intellectual property from British Government, military, industrial and economic targets. We attribute malicious cyber activity where we believe it is in the best interests of the UK to do so. Sometimes this is in public, and sometimes we have private conversations with the country concerned. The Government has publicly stated that the Russian government, specifically the Russian military, was responsible for the destructive NotPetya cyber-attack that affected some UK companies. It has also publicly stated that it is highly likely that North Korean actors known as the Lazarus Group were behind the WannaCry ransomware campaign. The Government's view on both has not changed.

Electronic Warfare

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they use to determine whether cyber aggression constitutes an act of war; andin such cases, whatplansthey have to allow for Parliamentary scrutiny of any evidence.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UN Charter applies in its entirety to state actions in cyberspace, including the prohibition of the use of force (Article 2(4)). The Government considers that a cyber-operation may constitute an “armed attack” if its scale and physical effects are equivalent to those achieved by a conventional attack which would meet the same threshold. Whether a particular cyber operation constituted an “armed attack” would need to be considered in light of all the relevant facts and circumstances.

Russia: Electronic Warfare

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they havemade formal representations to the government of Russia regarding recent accusations by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of cyber-attacks originating in Russia; whether they plan to presentevidence in support of their accusations; and whether they consider that the government ofRussia was instrumental in these cyber-attacks.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK's National Cyber Security Centre assesses that the Russian military was almost certainly responsible for the destructive NotPetya cyber-attack of June 2017. Given the high confidence assessment and the broader context, the British Government has made the judgement that the Russian government was responsible for this cyber-attack. The Prime Minister has been clear about UK concerns that Russia is seeking to weaponise information and that the UK will defend its interests when threatened, this includes identifying activity which seeks to do us harm. The Government set out the UK's assessment, and concerns, directly with Russian Government representatives on 15 February 2018 in both the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow and the Russian Embassy in London.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have sought legal advice on whether the withdrawal of the UK from the EU automatically leads to the loss by British nationals of EU citizenship and the consequent loss of the rights and freedoms deriving from that citizenship; and if so, what was that advice.

lord callanan: The Government has considered this matter carefully. The EU treaty provisions state only citizens of EU Member States are able to hold EU citizenship. Therefore, when the UK ceases to be a member of the European Union, British nationals will no longer hold EU citizenship, unless they hold dual nationality with another EU Member State.

Brexit

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof proposed European Court of Justice involvement in providing oversight over the withdrawal treaty.

lord callanan: The UK recognises that there needs to be a clear mechanism for governing and enforcing our Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, as there is in any international agreement, and we will continue to engage constructively on this in the negotiations. However, we have been clear that this cannot mean continuing the direct jurisdiction of the CJEU after the UK has left the EU. In our paper last summer, we set out the principles underpinning our approach to enforcement and dispute resolution which included respect for the autonomy of both the UK and EU.

Brexit

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK is on target to meet the March 2019 deadline forwithdrawal from the EU.

lord callanan: The Government has been clear that we will leave the EU in March 2019. We are working intensely with our EU counterparts in order to agree an implementation period, turn the Joint Report into legal text and to reach agreement on the entire Withdrawal Agreement by October. We are fully confident that we will reach a final deal which is in the interests of both the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Department of Health and Social Care

Stem Cells: EU Law

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech by the Foreign Secretary on 14 February, which provisions in the current regulatory framework of the EU inhibit the development of new stem cell technology in the UK.

lord o'shaughnessy: Provisions in the current regulatory framework of the European Union do not specifically inhibit our present requirements for the development of new stem cell technology.The United Kingdom and the EU start from a position of close regulatory alignment. As part of exit negotiations, the UK Government will discuss with the EU and Member States on how best to continue cooperation in the field of research, including clinical trials, medicines and medical devices, and data sharing, to ensure patient safety and public health.As my Rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister stated in her speech on our future economic partnership with the European Union last Friday, the UK will need to make a strong commitment that its regulatory standards will remain as high as the EU’s. That commitment, in practice, will mean that UK and EU regulatory standards will remain substantially similar in the future. Our default is that UK law may not necessarily be identical to EU law, but it should achieve the same outcomes.As my Rt. hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have stated previously, we have three principles which will help us rise to the challenge of developing a new regulatory system post Brexit:- patients should not be disadvantaged;- innovators should be able to get their products into the UK market as quickly and simply as possible; and- the UK continues to play a leading role promoting public health.

World Encephalitis Day

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to celebrate World Encephalitis Day on 22 February.

lord o'shaughnessy: There are no specific plans. NHS England works with partners such as voluntary sector organisations to synchronise communications activity in line with many annual awareness days. The NHS England communications team may also provide support to maximise the reach of established campaigns.

Social Services: Finance

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term impact of the £150 million in additional funding granted to the Adult Social Care Support Grant, administered by local authorities, announced in the local government finance settlement 2018–19.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from (1) local authorities, (2) carer organisations, (3) private providers, and (4) affected individuals, regarding the funding of adult social care.

lord o'shaughnessy: The additional £150 million for the Adult Social Care Support Grant in 2018/19 has been provided as a further resource for local authorities to support the care market in their areas.We are in regular contact with stakeholders in the sector including national representation from the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, as well as local authorities and providers, on a wide range of issues.We are inviting representation from all interested parties on the upcoming Green Paper and will be holding further roundtables and consultation throughout the year.

2gether NHS Foundation Trust: Parking

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to intervene in the dispute over parking charges for NHS staff at Weavers Croft Mental Health Unit in Stroud.

lord o'shaughnessy: National Health Service organisations are responsible locally for their own policy on car parking, taking into account operational circumstances and community interests. Therefore there are no plans to intervene in any local disputes.Hospitals should put concessions in place for those who most need help including disabled people, carers and staff who work shifts. The NHS itself is responsible for ensuring that charges are fairly applied. The Department published clear online only guidelines (the car parking principles) for NHS organisations that they are expected to follow.

Fit for Work Programme

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to extend the authority of GPs to refer patients on the Fit for Work scheme to other healthcare professionals such as nurses and physiotherapists.

lord o'shaughnessy: There are no plans to extend the authority to refer patients to the Fit for Work service to other healthcare professionals, since employees can no longer be referred to the assessment service in England and Wales, and no further referrals will be taken to the assessment service in Scotland from 1 March 2018.We recently published Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability, in which we outlined our intention to work closely with partners and stakeholders to find robust and lasting solutions to the issues associated with work-related illness and sickness absence, in particular through reform of occupational health. A copy of Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability is attached. We have commissioned further research to better understand the current market supply and delivery structures of occupational health provision and its operation. We will shortly appoint an expert working group to champion, shape and drive the work and to inform proposals by 2019/2020.



Improving Lives
(PDF Document, 2.12 MB)

Department for International Development

Syria: Refugees

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the conclusions of the report by variousorganisationsDangerous Ground: Syria's refugees face an uncertain futurepublished on 5 February.

lord bates: DFID welcomes the analysis in this report. The UK is committed to ensuring that any refugee returns to Syria take place voluntarily in safety and dignity, in line with international law, when conditions allow. We do not support forced returns, and will not support any returns before Syria or parts of Syria are declared safe by the UN.In the meantime, we are supporting the governments of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to cope with a protracted refugee presence, and enable Syrian refugees to remain in the region until they can return safely to Syria.

St Helena: Aviation

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the introduction of a regular air service to St Helena.

lord bates: A scheduled air service to St Helena has been operated weekly by SA Airlink since 14th October 2017, with 20 return flights carrying over 2000 passengers.Officials from both the UK and St Helena Governments are monitoring progress with the service through regular passenger and booking data. Regular meetings with SA Airlink are taking place to review the service’s progress. Progress with the St Helena Airport project is also subject to systematic review under DFID’s internal project review processes.

Department for Education

Schools: Assessments

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for pupils who have done most of their schoolwork on a laptop, not for reasons of disability, to be permitted to use a laptop for (1) GCSE, and (2) A-level examinations.

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportionof pupils who have done most of their schoolwork on a laptop, not for reasons of disability, are permitted to use a laptop for (1) GCSE and (2) A-level examinations.

lord agnew of oulton: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to my noble Friend and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Legislatures

lord jopling: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to the Written Answers by Lord McFall of Alcluith on 8 February (HL5378) and by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 February (HL5379), what was the percentage of the total costs for the UK delegations represented by members of the House of Lords attending (1) the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, (2) the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and (3) the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The percentage for the total cost for the UK delegation represented by Members of the House of Lords in the last financial year was (1) 50.58% for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, (2) 35.01% for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and (3) 14.41% for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly. The percentage of the total cost across the three delegations represented by Peers in the last financial year was 41.13%. The secretariat support for all three delegations is supplied by the House of Commons on a cost sharing basis. The House of Lords provides 30% of the total cost, and the House of Commons 70%.

Peers' Interests

lord hoyle: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether he intends to review whether Peers should declare their membership of the Freemasons and other similar organisations with secret ceremonies.

lord mcfall of alcluith: While the House of Lords Code of Conduct does not require members to register membership of the Freemasons or similar societies, it may in some circumstances be necessary for them to declare it in the course of proceedings. This is the same position as in the House of Commons. There are currently no plans to review the matter.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Planning: EU Law

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherto the speechby the Foreign Secretary on 14 February,which current EU regulations or directives complicate planning and inhibit housebuilding in the UK.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: This Government is clear that building more of the right homes, in the right places, is central to our vision. My department is working hard with the house-building sector to understand the opportunities that leaving the EU has for our housing objectives.

Department for Work and Pensions

Poverty

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 12 December 2017 (HL3812), which (1) ministers, (2) departments, (3) agencies, and (4) arm’s length government bodies, including non-ministerial departments, executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and public corporations, have responsibility for poverty, and issues relating to poverty.

baroness buscombe: This Government is committed to collective action that tackles the root causes of poverty and disadvantage through a range of policies, such as Universal Credit, the National Living Wage, tax changes, and up to 30 hours of free childcare a week to incentivise employment as the best opportunity for families to get out of poverty and become self-reliant. In Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, we set out a framework for a continued focus on improving children’s long-term outcomes. This includes nine national indicators to track progress across a number of departments in tackling the disadvantages that can affect families and their children. The Government has a statutory duty to report annually against two of these indicators - parental employment, and children’s educational attainment. The relevant departments and agencies - Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, HM Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions – all aim to publish data on the other, non-statutory indicators by the end of March.

Poverty

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of their preventative approach with regard to addressing the root causes of poverty in the long term.

baroness buscombe: This Government is committed to action that tackles the root causes of poverty and disadvantage. We are undertaking the most ambitious reform to the welfare system in decades to ensure that it supports people to find and progress in work. This is because we have clear evidence that work offers families the best opportunity to get out of poverty and to become self-reliant. Adults in workless families are 4 times more likely to be in poverty than those in working families. We also know that children living in workless households are 5 times more likely to be in poverty than those where all adults work. We are making good progress. Nationally, there are now 954,000 fewer workless households, and 608,000 fewer children living in such households compared with 2010. In Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, we set out a framework for a continued focus on improving children’s long-term outcomes. This includes nine national indicators to track progress across government in tackling the disadvantages that can affect families and their children. The Government has a statutory duty to report annually against two of these indicators - parental employment, and children’s educational attainment.

Poverty: Children

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children were living in poverty in working families in each year since 2010.

baroness buscombe: National statistics on the number of children, in a family with at least one adult in work, in relative low income can be calculated from figures published in the annual "Households Below Average Income" publication. YearNumber of children living in relative low income before housing costs in a family with at least one adult in work2009/101.4m2010/111.4m2011/121.5m2012/131.5m2013/141.5m2014/151.7m2015/161.8m The increase is partly driven by more families being in employment. The number of children in a family with at least one adult in work has increased by 800,000 since 2009/10. The chances of a child being in relative low income (before housing costs) when living in a family with at least one adult in work was 15% in 2015/16, which is the same as before the financial crisis (e.g. 2007/08). This publication also shows that the chances of a child being in relative low income are diminished when work is the norm. The figures show that children in households where all adults work are five times less likely to be in relative low income before housing costs than children in workless households.

Pensions

baroness burt of solihull: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation, The Dependency Trap—are we fit to face the future, published in January, in particular its proposal that working partners should be able to contribute to the pension funds of non-working partners in order to help tackle the gender pay gap in pensions.

baroness buscombe: The report by the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation raises issues concerning differences in earnings between genders that cannot be tackled by the pensions system alone. The Government remains committed to minimising the gender pay gap. Certain choices are available within an individualised UK tax and pensions system; subject to tax rules, households can plan for retirements by using household income to make payments to a personal pension for a non-working spouse. In terms of pension savings, through automatic enrolment we are helping those who were historically underrepresented in workplace pension saving – including women and lower earners – build up retirement savings for their later life. Since the introduction of automatic enrolment the proportion of women employed full-time in the private sector who did not have a workplace pension has decreased from 65 per cent in 2012 to 31 per cent in 2016. It is also equalising workplace pension participation among eligible men and women. In 2016, 73 per cent of eligible men and women in the private sector were saving into a workplace pension compared with 43 per cent and 40 per cent of eligible men and women respectively in the private sector in 2012. Our aim is to continue to normalise retirement saving for all groups. The recent review of automatic enrolment sets out our medium term vision for strengthening existing framework of workplace pension saving for lower paid workers (including women) alongside proposals to test interventions for the self-employed.

State Pension Age Independent Review

baroness burt of solihull: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal in the Cridland review, published in March 2017, that couples should be able to combine their pension savings.

baroness buscombe: John Cridland raised an option related to married couples that appears to work well in Switzerland. However, the report recognised the UK system is different, and there are different challenges, including different delivery challenges. Within an individualised UK tax system, subject to tax rules, households can plan for retirement by making voluntary payments into a personal pension. Automatic enrolment is part of a wider set of pension reforms designed to ensure that the UK has a pension system that enables individuals, with the help of their employers, to save towards achieving the lifestyle to which they aspire to in retirement. It has been a great success to date with over 9 million employees automatically enrolled into a workplace pension by nearly 1 million employers. It has already reversed the decline in private pension saving seen in the decade prior to its introduction. Additionally, we have seen positive progress for other under-represented groups in pension saving, and a correlated increase in women’s participation since its introduction. The proportion of women employed full-time in the private sector who did not have a workplace pension has decreased from 65 per cent in 2012 to 31 per cent in 2016. However, we cannot be complacent which is why the Government has set out its vision going forwards to build on the success to date.

HM Treasury

UK Trade with EU

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments made by Robert Chote, Chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility, in the New Statesman on 24 January, that most of the work that trade economists have doneshows that the costs of leaving the single market and the customs union are greater than the benefits.

lord bates: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is an independent fiscal institution. Robert Chote’s comments in the New Statesman relate to an OBR judgement set out in their November 2017 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The Government adopts the OBR’s independent forecasts as the official forecasts for the UK and as such, it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on Robert Chote’s comments.

Foreign Companies: Japan

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of (1) the potential impact on the UK economy if Japanese companies decided to relocate away from the UK following the UK’s exit from the EU, and (2) any comments by the Japanese Ambassador on this issue.

lord bates: The United Kingdom and Japan have a strong existing bilateral trade and investment relationship. We have agreed that as the United Kingdom leaves the European Union we will work quickly to establish a new economic partnership between Japan and the UK based on the final terms of the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. The UK is clear that it wants a smooth and orderly transition to its new relationship with the EU and our key partners, including Japan. The UK welcomes the many high value and high profile Japanese investments in the UK, and will work closely with Japanese business and government to build on these investments in future The Government is undertaking a wide range of analysis looking at the implications of UK withdrawal from the EU. Our programme of analysis is constantly developing and evolving, and included sectoral analysis.

Metals: VAT

lord faulkner of worcester: To ask Her Majesty's Government why reverse charge VAT has been applied to products such as mobile phones and gold, but not to scrap metal.

lord bates: HMRC uses a wide range of risk assessment and compliance responses to identify and tackle non-compliance. The introduction of a reverse charge can be effective in preventing certain types of VAT fraud. It is used selectively and targeted at the highest risks such as mobile phones and, most recently, telecommunications.

Metals: VAT

lord faulkner of worcester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps HMRC is taking to tackle carousel or missing trader intra-community fraud in the scrap metal sector.

lord bates: HMRC has identified metals as a common commodity used to perpetrate Missing Trader Intra Community (MTIC) fraud and will take all necessary and proportionate steps to tackle it. HMRC is committed to tackling tax fraud through the most effective means possible, and has successfully reduced fraud levels by a significant amount. HMRC works closely with businesses to raise their awareness and understanding of risks, promoting good governance and risk assessment, in order to minimise the likelihood of them becoming involved in fraudulent supply chains.One of HMRC’s approaches for tackling MTIC fraud is to continuously monitor traders in risk sectors. This enables HMRC to quickly identify suspect activity and make early interventions.HMRC also carries out criminal investigations and prosecutions in line with its published criminal investigation policy as part of this wide ranging programme of interventions to combat MTIC fraud.

Metals: VAT

lord faulkner of worcester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with scrap metal trade bodies about reverse charge VAT.

lord bates: HMRC meets with a variety of trade bodies as part of its general approach to assessing and tackling non-compliance, including the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA). This has included discussing ways in which HMRC can provide guidance to BMRA members about spotting VAT fraud.

VAT: Tax Evasion

lord faulkner of worcester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how muchpotential revenue they estimatethe Governmentis losing each yearthrough carousel or missing trader intra-community fraud.

lord bates: I refer the Hon Member to the answer that I gave on 4 December to the Rt Hon. Baroness Primarolo (HL3403). The information is also available in Chapter 2 of the ‘Measuring Tax Gaps’ publication.[1] [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps

Capital Investment

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether assessments produced by HM Treasury economists concur with the Bank of England’s assessment of the impact of Brexit on capital investment.

lord bates: Before the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, the UK government published short-term and long-term assessments of the likely impact on the economy of the UK leaving the EU, which noted that heightened uncertainty would affect capital investment. The Bank of England published analysis on this issue as part of its February 2018 Inflation Report. Business investment grew by 2.2% in 2017 and the OBR expect growth to remain over 2% per annum on average over the next five years.

Regional Planning and Development

lord radice: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to provideany additional helpto any regions that experience negative economic impacts due to Brexit.

lord bates: The government has committed to create a United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund following Brexit. The fund will support regions across the UK to achieve sustainable, inclusive growth, based on our modern industrial strategy. Further details on the fund will be set out in due course.

British Overseas Territories: Biodiversity

baroness scott of needham market: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a decision has been made on whether the £1 million received by the UK Overseas Territories per year from the EU’s Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Territories of Europe Overseas Fund will be replaced after the UK leaves the EU.

lord bates: Decisions on the replacement of EU funding have not yet been taken and will be taken in light of wider UK strategic priorities and other domestic spending decisions. As we start to take our own decisions in these areas, we will of course make sure all parts of the UK, including the Overseas Territories, are treated fairly.

VAT

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government why VAT is payable on the provision of British Sign Language interpreters for deaf people and people with hearing loss in full-time employment.

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government why VAT is payable on the provision of palantypists for deaf people and people with hearing loss in full time employment.

lord bates: VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption and the standard rate of twenty percent applies to most goods and services, including the supply of sign language interpreters and palantypists by VAT-registered suppliers. Exceptions to the standard rate are strictly limited under domestic and international law. However, VAT-registered employers are able to deduct VAT incurred on such services to the extent that they relate to VAT-able supplies.

Credit Unions

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action have they taken to support credit unions in the last two years.

lord bates: The government is committed to supporting credit unions, which provide vital services to financially under-served communities and contribute to the diversity of the UK’s financial services sector. Over the last two financial years, the government has done this by: Announcing at Autumn Budget 2017, that where a credit union’s membership conditions are based on locality, a credit union will be able to increase the number of potential members it can have to from 2 to 3 million. The legislation to make this change was laid in November 2017 and comes into force in April 2018.Announcing at Autumn Statement 2016 that, from 2018, an existing scheme which incentivises credit union membership in communities at risk of being targeted by loan sharks, will be expanded. This uses funds recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act from convicted loan sharks.Contributing £600,000 to an initiative developed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Young Enterprise, to start savings clubs in primary schools and educate young children in the benefits of saving. Lifesavers works with local credit unions to help run savings clubs with schoolchildren, and is currently being piloted in six primary schools.Providing funding for the Credit Union Expansion Project, delivered by the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd, with an aim to modernise and grow the sector. Over the past year, credit unions with a total membership of 16,500 have begun using an online banking platform provided by this project.

Social Security Benefits: Children

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Bates on 25 January (HL4633) and 19 February (HL5367), whether they have collected statistics on the number of families affected by the two-child limit policy in the child element of Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit since its introduction in April 2017.

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Bates on 25 January (HL4633) and 19 February (HL5367), (1) how many families have had their tax credits reduced as a result of the two-child limit policy in the child element of Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit, in each month since its introduction in April 2017; and (2) how many children the families had in each case.

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Bates on 25 January (HL4633) and 19 February (HL5367), of those families affected by the two-child limit policy in the child element of Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit since its introduction in April 2017, how many (1) had one or more parents in work, (2) were single parent families, and (3) were two-parent families.

lord bates: No family has seen a cash reduction in their tax credit award as a consequence of the decision to limit support to two children in Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit. The number of Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit claimants who were expected to be affected by the policy over the next five years were published in the Impact Assessment relating to the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.The government continues to monitor the impact of its welfare policy decisions, including reviewing available statistical information.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what, if any, resources they made available to (1) the Democratic Unionist Party, and (2) Sinn Fein, to support the recent unsuccessful negotiations to re-establish devolved government in Northern Ireland.

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any drafting or legislative assistance was offered to, or accepted by, (1) the Democratic Unionist Party, and (2) Sinn Fein, during the recent unsuccessful negotiations to re-establish devolved government in Northern Ireland.

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they had sight of any draft proposed agreement between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein during the last 13 months; if so, when they saw such drafts; and with whom those drafts were shared.

lord duncan of springbank: Beyond the UK Government facilitating and supporting the recent intensive negotiations, including responding to requests for information from the parties, it did not provide any resources to either the DUP or Sinn Féin. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland or representatives of the UK Government were not present at the private political discussions between the DUP and Sinn Féin. I provided the House with an update on the Talks on the 20 February and would refer the Noble Lord to that statement. It would not be appropriate to comment further on those discussions or any draft agreement. The parties had access to the services of the Office of the Legislative Counsel at Stormont during the course of the discussions.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their plans for parliamentary scrutiny of post-Brexit trade deals.

baroness fairhead: As outlined in the Government’s White Paper – ‘Preparing for our Future UK Trade Policy’, parliament will play a vital role in the scrutiny of future trade agreements, as it always has. The UK remains committed to a transparent, fair, and inclusive approach to international trade and has invited views on the UK’s approach to its future trade policy, including future trade agreements.The Department for International Trade continues to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, to gather views that will help to inform decisions on the future approach to the scrutiny of future trade agreements.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Channel Four Television: Location

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the relocation of asubstantial part of Channel 4 outside of London.

lord ashton of hyde: We have made it clear that Channel 4 must have a major presence outside London. As a publicly owned broadcaster, it is essential that it reflects and provides for the country as a whole. The government is working with Channel 4 on how best it can increase its regional impact, and we will set out next steps in due course.